No Bake Chickpea Energy Balls

School Safe * Peanut-Free * Grain-Free * Gluten-Free * Vegan

With kids now back to school, I’ve been getting a lot of requests for healthy, allergy-friendly school safe snacks. These chickpea energy balls are a delicious little treat that are high in both protein and fiber and uses just a touch of maple syrup for sweetness. Surprisingly, these really do remind me of raw cookie dough! This is a much healthier version that requires no baking.

This recipe uses chickpeas as a base and sunbutter to bind them together, which is made from blended sunflower seeds. Of course, you can use any nut or seed butter of your choice, however, sunbutter is peanut and tree nut free and permitted in schools. I’ve also made this recipe using almond butter, which is my personal preference, but sunbutter is just as tasty.

The best part – no baking required! Just roll the dough into balls and place in the refrigerator to set. I literally whipped these up in less than 10 minutes!

Method:1. Place chickpeas, sunbutter and maple syrup in a food processor and blend until the mixture is smooth.
2. Add the cinnamon, vanilla, salt and oat flour. Pulse until well combined. At this point, it should resemble cookie dough. If it seems a bit too dry, you can add more sunbutter or maple syrup (depending on how sweet you want them to be). If the consistency is too wet, add more flour.
3. Transfer to a bowl and mix in the chocolate chips.
4. Scoop a heaping tablespoon of dough and roll between your palms to form a ball. Store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.